My evolution in attending events

I have attended quite a few health and wellness events, as both a participant and a vendor. I have noticed how I have evolved over the years.

I started attending as an enthusiast. Even though I was working on my own health, I still treated these events like a hobby. I enjoyed them primarily for education and learning about new technology.

After a year or two, I realized that education can be had anywhere. I stopped going to breakout sessions unless I really wanted to hear a particular speaker. I spent most of my time in the tech halls playing with gadgets and talking to the reps. 

The gadgets are still cool, but I have significantly reduced my spend. Over the last year, my focus has been making money by building my business. I have deliberately focused on making connections and seeking potential collaboration partners or customers. 

At this weekend's event, it feels different. It's an intimate event, and I'm certainly having lots of great conversations and making some good connections. It doesn't feel like a traditional networking space. I haven't been pushing Vital Health heavily, though I have handed out some coffee samples.

Maybe the best description is what 90-yr-old Jim Flaherty suggested: "It's time to do some 'mesearch' instead of research." This event is designed to allow my development to unfold without my direction.